Keep church and state separate. ("Jackson felt... public life was complicated enough without turning political disputes into religious ones.")

Have a back up plan (or two). "Our new President should always have at least two cards to play in any given situation," Meacham said.

Sound, cautionary advice for any leader. And with the notion of "having two cards to play," comes the idea that Time magazine reported in July 2008 that Barrack Obama was an avid poker player. So was FDR, Eisenhower, and Truman: Shuffle up, deal, and create your backup plans.